The present invention relates to a method of continuously producing relatively large-volume roll bales of stalk products, and the like, with the use of an agricultural press which has a separable housing forming an approximately cylindrical pressure chamber limited at its ends by smooth walls and at its periphery by transport elements, and also a storage chamber associated with the pressure chamber. The invention also relates to a baling press of the above mentioned type.
Methods and presses of the above mentioned type are known in the art. They are used for recovery of loose agricultural products which lie in some cases in a swath and particularly produce therefrom round bales. In early times, agricultural workers turned in increasing degree to round bale forming machines for producing great round bales. In known agricultural machines a swath is converted into a cylindrical round bale, and the bales remain on the ground or on the field. In round bale forming machines of another type, the swath is taken up and processed above the ground to form a round bale. Both machines are provided with binding devices which bind the round bales and thereafter the required diameter and a predetermined strength are attained. Finally, the machines of both types discharge the bound round bales from the machine. Round bale forming machines in which the round bales are formed on the ground must move during the time interval from the region of the agricultural product collected to a swath, during which the bales are bound and unloaded, since during this time interval the machine cannot take up new product and further process the same prior to ending the above mentioned step. In the round bale forming machine in which the round bales are formed above the ground, the forward transport of the machine is restrained until the bale is bound with the binding twine and discharged, since in a machine of this type agricultural product cannot be taken up continuously or additionally during the above mentioned working step. In certain conditions of the field and product properties, the time which is required for binding and unloading of the bales reaches 50% and more of the entire time required for the process of forming bales proper. It is to be understood that, in this condition, the working capacity of a machine, especially counted for longer time and greater field units, is considerably limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,004,377 deals with known small round bale forming machines and contains a proposal to eliminate the above mentioned limitations. More particularly, the machine disclosed in this patent has an auxiliary transport device which accumulates the taken up hay and circulates it in an endless path of the machine which is spaced from the bale forming device proper. The bale winding step and the unloading of the bales are performed in the separate forming device. As soon as the finally formed round bales are discharged, the intermediately stored hay is supplied in accordance with a known step to the bale forming device of the machine together with the new hay taken up from the field, so as to form a next round bale. This known proposal has several disadvantages. First of all, there is a danger that because of continuous circulation of hay which is brought by the auxiliary transporter and intermediately stored, the binding and unloading steps of the finished bale lead to considerable spoilage losses, inasmuch as the intermediately stored agricultural product is in contact with mechanical devices during its circulation for a long time. Furthermore, there is a high probability that the auxiliary transport device of the machine collects more hay than required to form a bale, so that the machine must be periodically stopped during its travel to empty the auxiliary transporter. As a result of this, the machine driver must pay much attention to the auxiliary transport device of the machine. Finally, the continuous circulation of the loose hay of the auxiliary transporter considerably worsens the observation and control possibilities over the circulated product, which is necessary for providing uniform and gradual supply of the intermediately stored material to the bale forming device together with the product taken up from the field.
These disadvantages are eliminated in the proposal disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,704,982 in which the round bale forming press is provided with two separate bale winding chambers arranged one behind the other, so that the taken up and transported product can be continuously processed to a round bale without interruption of the machine travel. The agricultural product is supplied to the machine and transported for forming a round bale in a front winding chamber as considered in the travelling direction, and after partial formation of a round bale in the front winding chamber is transferred to the rear winding chamber. The disadvantage of this round bale forming press is that the provision of two separate winding chambers arranged one behind the other and provided with the associated aggregates leads to expenditures which are substantially equal to the expenditures in the event of provision of two completely separate winding presses, a smaller press for forming a preliminary bale and a larger press for forming a main bale in desired dimension. A further disadvantage is the complicated mechanics, particularly in the sense of transfer of the bales from the first winding chamber to the second winding chamber and power consumption of energy. Not the least disadvantage is that the arrangement one behind the other increases the length and inconvenience of space of the winding press. Moreover, the interruption of the material flow can lead to blocking of the machine.